Always_Ask_Questions

First question – do you accept that there is a pandemic. If you don’t – then, it is indeed easy: you don’t think that there is a threat, there is no need for any intervention, etc. There is no need to ivermectin either. This is, of course, refuted by statistics and personal experience of many people.

Now, if there is a pandemic, there are many independent ways to deal with this – SD, masks, washing surfaces, washing hands, ventilation, (later) vaccines, vitamins, medicines. They were not just invented, these are standard public policies for pandemics. After some experience, some were judged less important (surfaces), the rest are multiple layers of defense. some are more expensive or inconvenient or risky, so I understand why someone will be against masks (convenience) or against SD (love of people), or washing hands (laziness), or vaccines (risk). You seem to say that they are all suspect because they are proposed by “corrupt government”, except the ones that are proposed by a group of “non-corrupt” scientists. This is strange, given that these are standard policies not developed specifically for COVID and accepted during initial emergency by multiple independent-thinking countries and bodies.

Research finally can make shalom between those who want to vax everyone and those who insist on their natural immunity rights. British research from ZOE Covid Study app show that
VACCINE + COVID == VACCINE + BOOSTER
that is, if someone had COVID and a vaccine does not need a booster.

To recap, previous data was inconsistent whether COVID == VACCINE – some studies say one is better, some another. This makes sense due to high variability of effects of COVID – it could be mild or severe, short or long, etc. So, the results of the study may hinge on how you define “exposure” and average exposure at a particular time and location.

BUT, when you combine COVID with a Vaccine, vaccine provides consistent protection, so variability of COVID exposure is less affecting the result.

Bottom line – those who had COVID should get one or two vaccines when they are 6-12 months out.
Also, there are papers saying that more time between 2 vaccines are better.

Disclaimer, of course: this is not a medical advice, just an input for talking to your doctor.

> I see plenty of “rational and educated” professors, scientists and doctors being anti-lockdowns, anti-masks, and anti-covidvaccines.

we just saw that almost all doctors actually took vaccine before mandate. For your good question – 50% of German doctors joined the Nazis, not 95%.

Also, when you claim your scientists are against everything – what is the chance that someone can find scientific argument against vaccines and against masks and against lockdowns and for one specific controversial medicine. This is for me impossible coincidence. It means they all are drinking from the same bucket.

Google has community mobility report by country and regions over time
here are current levels comparing with pre-pandemic
you can see how much lower AU indices are for retail, transit, and work comparing with USA and Israel.
Baruch Hashem people are still eating, though.

retail grocery transit work
AU
Capital Ter -43% -5% -75% -53%
New South Wales -36% +4% -69% -41%
USA
FL -13% -2% -27% -22%
NJ -7% +9% -27% -28%
IL -6% +3% -22% -25%

Israel
Central l -2% +18% -14% -17%
Jerusalem -7% +9% -7% -26%

As advised, I went to Adams site. I see a mixture of progressive and not progressive policies. In the area of his expertise – policing, he is especially specific and sometimes seem to express sensible ideas using language palatable to progressives (he suggests “gun control” where he clearly targets looking for guns used by shooters, not generic guns). here is a sample of not progressives and progressives policies:

not progressive
SAVE $1.5B AND AVOID LAYOFFS BY SIMPLY NOT HIRING ANYONE NEW FOR TWO YEARS

we will reduce agency spending at least 3-5% by applying an efficiency mandate that eliminates ineffective programs and unnecessary spending, while utilizing an inequality impact test so that programs vital to lower-in-come New Yorkers are protected.

By using real-time governing tools and tracking crime trends to become predictive, we can quickly shift NYPD resources from one community to another to reverse bad trends. For instance, we will regularly shift detectives and other officers from low-crime areas to crime hot-spots.

work with private companies who are willing to sponsor spots for NYPD supervisors at the leadership academies they send their own management staff to, helping train a new generation of brass to think critically, behave honorably and lead effectively.

Relocation Employment Assistance Program (REAP) has successfully drawn new businesses here from outside the state by providing a tax credit per employee per year if they locate in certain areas of the city.
TAX-FREE TUESDAYS”
ELIMINATE THE FEES FOR STARTING (OR RE-STARTING) A SMALL BUSINESS
progressive

We can generate $1-2 billion annually by instituting a “Recovery Share”—a modest increase to the income taxes of city earners who make more than $5 million a year, sunsetting after two years.

reward businesses that hire local workers and benefit minority and female owners and workers—especially on City-financed projects.

recruiting from the very same neighborhoods that are suffering from crime, which are mostly Black and Brown

EMPOWER IMMIGRANTS WITH MUNICIPAL VOTING RIGHTS

INVEST IN GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE
ADD HOUSING—FOR EVERYONE—IN WEALTHY NEIGHBORHOODS

Melbournian, I did do exhaustive research.

Surveys of 400 randomly selected people are generally reliable if done by a professional outfit and are not abused for political reasons. Abuse is usually in the form of leading question or a question asked in context of other questions. This one looks legit at the first glance.

But if you are skeptical, you should present counter-arguments. Could you find a different survey?
could you present your visual observations in the context? for example, compare number of people in public transit or in the stores comparing with pre-pandemic.

A question from a kid – was it really a punishment? People in the flood generation died older (and bored?) than people lived normal lives after the flood.

NYers, should you first say Gomel for the D- primaries ending with a most palatable candidate?
Show some appreciation

whether it is a continent or a country or a long-term prison, here is what the in-MATES are saying (as of Aug 31):

Actions to prevent the spread of Covid-19, like wearing masks in crowds and practicing social distancing, should be required even after we achieve the vaccination targets
agree 65%

We should not be easing Covid-19 lockdown restrictions until a substantial proportion of children are fully vaccinated
agree 58%

So, it sounds like your litvishe rov was mis-informed and majority of population supports lockdowns. Sadly to make a minor mistake of Hillul Hashem. Hope this is not the Rov’s problem, but of people who tell stories about him.

ujm, you should ask manufacturer of the product

It is also a catch 22: a lot of person’s success is due to his wife, so you don’t need to wait to be fully established to get married. Also, the wife will undoubtfully want to change how the person looks and what he does, so don’t get too settled and make her work hard (for you).

> she is a special girl.

not knowing the girl, of course, but how would you ensure that in 20 years she is not going to post about her great skills in punishing her kids? R Pliskin writes a young lady who did not like how her mother was treating her father, and then was horrified that a month after the wedding, same words popped out of her mouth. A person needs to do serious work on his/her middos if they have bad influences in life. If they do, of course, they become indeed very special.

We discussed Rambam’s suggestion to temporarily switch a middah to an opposite side until you train yourself. R Twersky suggests joining AA-type groups – are there any Parent Anonymous groups out there? But, of course, the hardest part is for the person to commit to a change. R Twersky in exploring one case of a guy who had a great management job, a family, and was occasionally coming to be treated for drinking. He added up losing everything and everyone, but did not come back until he hit “rock bottom” – by eating from Salvation Army for which he used to collect funds in his office. He also suggests sometimes not to protect people on the way to “rock bottom” – the faster they hit it, the better. for example, not to pay debts for a gambler, or not protect an abusive person when police come.

Any other ideas/sources out there?

> computer can either be on (1) or off (0) circuit

there is no 2 in binary
you can “easily” build computer with 3 states – off,+1,-1. Then, 2+2 is indeed 11

Avira, yes, I was not serious, mods are doing a great job, but they do make their own judgment on what is offensive.

I agree that we can move discussion to a different thread. I think I was not clear here – I quoted a hesped with several points, and, in response to Avira, tried to clarify what R Tendler’s and related views are based on. I don’t think I posted any of my opinions here, but will happy to discuss in a different thread. Overall, I think it is a respect to Talmid Chacham when people discuss his Torah. We say that the person is alive while his opinions are quoted.

11, Hamevin yavin

ujm, I know, but it used to be smaller

ujm, indeed, according to the speaker, R Tendler told him that Fathers talked to each other after the kids already met. Baseless suspicion about gedolim edited

Gadol, someone else said that we often talk about people comfortable in two realms, but for Rav Tendler, there was no separation.

Avira, thanks for the reference. Given that he is from England, makes sense that he knows the story of Talmid from England. Still, I would not call this “sourced” unless Rav Falk says that he heard this from that person. The book is full of secondary references, well collected, but certain to support the author’s passion. His references to kulos are present (Igros Moshe allowing women to bath in the presence of non-Jewish life guard) but very rare. Understandable generally giving the topic and the goals, but one definitely cannot confirm a full picture of attitudes from the book (above mentioned kulos on kiddush in presence of low-tznius mothers by Chazon seem not to be mentioned, I think).

Shimon, you might think that Biden does not have a grasp of things, so he would take the tallis. Still, apparently all his children marry/date Jews, some twice, some the same .. so, he may recognize the tallis

Gadol > have become the hallmarks of BOTH parties .. sensible middle of the American body politic is on life-support

Agree. Weimar Germany fell under pressure from two sides by Commies and Nazis and people having to choose between the two terrible alternatives. Historical question: how come after 100+ years of successful American democracy Wilson could not propose a more stable system for Germany? A filibuster when you really needed it? Cared too much about the League and did not appreciate what we had?

Still, excesses on the left worry me more.. Not only because it has a higher score on murders and more countries historically, but is also more attractive ideologically by appealing to global feelings. Also, by having a grip on many institutions, including educating the youth.

I just compared trend for last 15 years for socialism, communism, nazism, fascism (the latter being a commie term to refer to nazism) – and first two are 2x over fascism, and nazism is negligible… Socialism spikes during 2008, 2016, 2020 elections. Nazi is popular, but it seems mostly as a term of endearment, like grammar nazi, trump nazi, not an ideology

I would encourage you to separate two issues – (1) “less observant” and (2) “modern”. These are not the same things. You need to analyze your family circumstance: what belongs to each of these categories. If you understand the difference, then you might (or not) discover that some of your family values are worth keeping. For example, a more modern schooling or family background may have prepared you better for challenges of interacting with outside world, workplace, etc. You may still want to change your approach to a different one after due consideration, but at least you need to show respect to your parent’s derech by not discarding it as inappropriate (if that is what it is).

So, if you can find value in your background, then you original question is similar to: how about a Yekke marrying a Litvak with less if undue low self-esteem.

I have no problem reviewing various medicines that could be another layer in addition to vaccines, SD, masks, approved medicines.

For guys, who advocate some of these medicines INSTEAD of other things – are these your own ideas and you_all came up with them independently? If not, what is the source of your ideas – friends? radio? web? could you please share

> hitting a new low,

Chill, this is a very local low, they used to put people into labor camps.